I Just Watched Thor… and Wanted to Visit Earth’s Asgard

Imagine riding a mighty steed across the Bifrost towards Valhalla after an epic battle. The golden towers gleaming in the distance, flowers and confetti rain from the sky to welcome you home. For us it's a fantasy; for Thor is was a regular occurrence. Asgard is a closed world built on lineage, ritual, belief in permanence, and in 2011 CGI.

After rewatching Thor (2011), I had one very specific thought: Santa Fe didn’t deserve this movie. No offense to New Mexico, but when a film opens with a glowing golden city floating in the clouds, I’m not exactly itching to book a Southwest flight. I'll save Santa Fe for when I rewatch Rent.

Asgard, a city so beautiful and permanent that no one inside it thinks it could ever fall... spoilers. And while Asgard is fictional, the mindset behind it is very real. Earth has places that were built not just near the gods, but for them—centers of power, ritual, and divine entitlement.

So if you’ve just watched Thor and found yourself craving something a little more epic than the American Southwest, here’s where Asgard actually lives on Earth.

Gamla Uppsala, Sweden: Where Gods and Kings Shared Power

Before Stockholm was cool, Gamla Uppsala was that girl. This was one of the most important religious and political sites in ancient Scandinavia, where Norse gods like Odin, Thor, and Freyr were worshipped and kings were buried in massive burial mounds that still loom over the landscape today. This is old power. Bloodline power. “We’ve always ruled” power.

Burial mounds of the fallen kings.

Getting here is refreshingly easy. Fly into Stockholm, hop on a train to Uppsala (less than an hour), and you’re basically there. In the spring, Valborg celebrations take over the city with bonfires, music, and rituals that feel like a modern echo of ancient seasonal festivals. Summer often brings Viking reenactments and heritage events that lean into the mythology without turning it into a theme park.

Burning pyre of Valborg.

If Asgard had a family estate, this would be it.

Gudvangen, Norway: A Myth Carved Into the Landscape

If Asgard were hidden anywhere on Earth, it would look like Gudvangen. Tucked at the end of the Nærøyfjord, this village is surrounded by towering cliffs and waterfalls, creating the sense of a realm protected by nature itself. The geography doesn’t just frame the myth—it enforces it.

Most travelers reach Gudvangen by flying into Bergen or Oslo, then taking a combination of trains and ferries through Norway’s fjord country. And honestly? The journey is half the experience. In summer, the village hosts Viking festivals and cultural gatherings that bring Norse history, crafts, and storytelling back into the landscape.

This is the Asgard Thor thinks he understands—beautiful, protected, and unquestioned.

Helgafell, Iceland: The Sacred Mountain That Demands Humility

Helgafell is not flashy, and that’s the point. This small mountain on Iceland’s Snæfellsnes Peninsula was once considered sacred, with rules about how it could be climbed: no talking, no looking back, and only good intentions allowed. Very “worthiness enchantment” coded.

You’ll fly into Reykjavik, rent a car, and drive a few hours through lava fields and wide-open landscapes that already feel mythic before you even get there. While Helgafell itself remains quiet and respectful, the surrounding region celebrates Iceland’s saga culture through seasonal events, storytelling festivals, and deep pride in its Norse roots.

This is the place that reminds Thor, and us, that power isn’t loud. And it definitely isn’t automatic.

Stockholm, Sweden: Order, Rule, and the World Odin Built

If Gamla Uppsala is ancient belief, Stockholm is what happens when that belief grows up, puts on a crown, and learns how to govern. With royal palaces, orderly streets, and just enough grandeur to intimidate you, Stockholm feels like the earthly counterpart to Odin’s Asgard.

Direct flights make it an easy entry point, and once you’re there, the city blends old and new effortlessly. Midsummer celebrations keep pre-Christian traditions alive with flowers, dancing, and communal rituals, even as the city moves at a very modern pace.

This is the Asgard Odin wants to protect—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s controlled.

The Asgard That Had to Fall

By sticking close to Norse destinations for Thor, we get a clearer picture of what Thor loses before he learns who he is without the throne. These places are confident. Ancient. Built on the assumption that they will last forever.

And if you know anything about mythology—or the MCU—you know how that usually goes.

This version of Asgard had to fall before the universe could get bigger. And trust me, when we get to Ragnarök and Love and Thunder, the gods are going global.

But for now? This is Thor’s world. And Earth has been preparing for it for centuries.